Posted!

Join the Conversation

This conversation is moderated according to USA TODAY's
community rules.
Please read the rules before joining the discussion.

Ducey says protesters are 'playing games', as teachers rally outside Phoenix radio station

Teachers protest outside the KTAR studios in Phoenix on April 10, 2018. Gov. Doug Ducey was making an appearance at the studios. Michael Chow/The Republic

Teachers protest outside Gov. Ducey radio station appearance

Teachers protest outside the KTAR studios in Phoenix on April 10, 2018. Gov. Doug Ducey was making an appearance at the studios.
Michael Chow/The Republic

Teachers protest outside the KTAR studios in Phoenix on April 10, 2018. Gov. Doug Ducey was making an appearance at the studios. Michael Chow/The Republic

Teachers protest outside Gov. Ducey radio station appearance

Teachers protest outside the KTAR studios in Phoenix on April 10, 2018. Gov. Doug Ducey was making an appearance at the studios.
Michael Chow/The Republic

Teachers protest outside the KTAR studios in Phoenix on April 10, 2018. Gov. Doug Ducey was making an appearance at the studios. Michael Chow/The Republic

Teachers protest outside Gov. Ducey radio station appearance

Teachers protest outside the KTAR studios in Phoenix on April 10, 2018. Gov. Doug Ducey was making an appearance at the studios.
Michael Chow/The Republic

Teachers protest outside the KTAR studios in Phoenix on April 10, 2018. Gov. Doug Ducey was making an appearance at the studios. Michael Chow/The Republic

Teachers protest outside Gov. Ducey radio station appearance

Teachers protest outside the KTAR studios in Phoenix on April 10, 2018. Gov. Doug Ducey was making an appearance at the studios.
Michael Chow/The Republic

Teachers protest outside the KTAR studios in Phoenix on April 10, 2018. Gov. Doug Ducey was making an appearance at the studios. Michael Chow/The Republic

Teachers protest outside Gov. Ducey radio station appearance

Teachers protest outside the KTAR studios in Phoenix on April 10, 2018. Gov. Doug Ducey was making an appearance at the studios.
Michael Chow/The Republic

Teachers protest outside the KTAR studios in Phoenix on April 10, 2018. Gov. Doug Ducey was making an appearance at the studios. Michael Chow/The Republic

Teachers protest outside Gov. Ducey radio station appearance

Teachers protest outside the KTAR studios in Phoenix on April 10, 2018. Gov. Doug Ducey was making an appearance at the studios.
Michael Chow/The Republic

Teachers protest outside the KTAR studios in Phoenix on April 10, 2018. Gov. Doug Ducey was making an appearance at the studios. Michael Chow/The Republic

Teachers protest outside Gov. Ducey radio station appearance

Teachers protest outside the KTAR studios in Phoenix on April 10, 2018. Gov. Doug Ducey was making an appearance at the studios.
Michael Chow/The Republic

Tawnia McGurthy, second grade teacher at Arrowhead Elementary, and other educators protest outside the KTAR studios in Phoenix on April 10, 2018. Gov. Doug Ducey was making an appearance at the studios. Michael Chow/The Republic

Teachers protest outside Gov. Ducey radio station appearance

Tawnia McGurthy, second grade teacher at Arrowhead Elementary, and other educators protest outside the KTAR studios in Phoenix on April 10, 2018. Gov. Doug Ducey was making an appearance at the studios.
Michael Chow/The Republic

Teachers protest outside Gov. Ducey radio station appearance

Teachers call for Gov. Ducey to act on their demand for pay increases outside the KTAR studios in Phoenix on April 10, 2018. Michael Chow/The Republic

Teachers protest outside Gov. Ducey radio station appearance

Teachers call for Gov. Ducey to act on their demand for pay increases outside the KTAR studios in Phoenix on April 10, 2018.
Michael Chow/The Republic

Teachers protest outside the KTAR studios in Phoenix on April 10, 2018. This was the second time the group protested outside one of Gov. Doug Ducey radio appearances at KTAR. Michael Chow/The Republic

Teachers protest outside Gov. Ducey radio station appearance

Teachers protest outside the KTAR studios in Phoenix on April 10, 2018. This was the second time the group protested outside one of Gov. Doug Ducey radio appearances at KTAR.
Michael Chow/The Republic

Teachers try to listen to the brodcast outside the KTAR studios in Phoenix on April 10, 2018. Michael Chow/The Republic

Teachers protest outside Gov. Ducey radio station appearance

Teachers try to listen to the brodcast outside the KTAR studios in Phoenix on April 10, 2018.
Michael Chow/The Republic

Tawnia McGurthy, second grade teacher at Arrowhead Elementary, leads a chant with other teachers and educators protesting outside the KTAR studios in Phoenix on April 10, 2018. Michael Chow/The Republic

Teachers protest outside Gov. Ducey radio station appearance

Tawnia McGurthy, second grade teacher at Arrowhead Elementary, leads a chant with other teachers and educators protesting outside the KTAR studios in Phoenix on April 10, 2018.
Michael Chow/The Republic

Interested in this topic? You may also want to view these photo galleries:

Teachers protest outside the KTAR studios in Phoenix on April 10, 2018. This was the second time the group protested outside one of Gov. Doug Ducey radio appearances at KTAR.(Photo: Michael Chow/The Republic)

As 300 teachers marched on a sidewalk outside a Phoenix radio station on Tuesday, Gov. Doug Ducey — who was on the air inside the station’s studio — suggested the problem with teacher pay was largely one of communication.

Ducey, in his monthly interview on KTAR, 92.3 FM, said he has already boosted teacher pay and expects to pass a budget to increase it more.

That message was not getting through to teachers being egged on to protest as part of a "political movement," he argued.

“If (teachers) can understand where we are and where we’re going to go, not only will they see that we respect them, but we want them to get higher pay," the governor said.

Ducey said he wanted teachers to “understand there is a plan.” He said he was “working hard to communicate, so they can see what the plan is.”

Ducey not interested in meeting with 'political operatives'

Ducey said he met with a group of superintendents at the Capitol on Tuesday, speaking with them about way to increase the amount of money flowing to teachers.

The governor said he would be willing to speak with other decision makers to help solve the education funding problem. But, he said, he was not interested in meeting with those involved in the #RedForEd movement.

“What I don’t want to do is get into these political operatives’ political circus,” he said on the air during the "Mac and Gaydos" show.

CLOSE

Gov. Doug Ducey said investment in teacher salaries has increased 9 percent since 2015. Is he right? AZ Fact Check takes a look.

Ducey said the organizers of #RedForEd, on the day of their first protest "endorsed my potential political opponent for governor.

"Why would I sit down with someone who wants to play games?" he said.

After the interview, Ducey clarified. He said the #RedForEd movement was being led by a political operative, seeming to reference Noah Karvelis, a 23-year-old music teacher in Tolleson.

Posted!

A link has been posted to your Facebook feed.

Noah Karvelis, (center) a teacher and leader in Arizona Educators United, speaks as Dylan Wegela, also a teacher and leader in Arizona Educators United, listens as they list their demands for Arizona leaders during a #RedForEd rally at the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix on Wednesday, March 28, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic

Rebecca Garelli, a seventh grade science teacher at Sevilla West School in Phoenix, speaks during a #RedForEd rally at the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix on March 28, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic

Thomas Webb-Sandoval, an eighth grade math teacher, and Crystal Carrera, a third grade teacher, both with Tres Rios Service Academy in Tolleson, attend a #RedForEd rally at the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix on March 28, 2018. Carrera made the t-shirts and said she could probably make more selling these T-shirts than she does teaching. David Wallace/The Republic

Organizers of Arizona Educators United group announced their demands of Gov. Doug Ducey and the Legislature for education funding during a rally at the Arizona state Capitol on March 28, 2018. Nick Oza/The Republic

Organizers of Arizona Educators United group announced their demands of Gov. Doug Ducey and the Legislature for education funding during a rally at the Arizona state Capitol on March 28, 2018. Nick Oza/The Republic

Organizers of Arizona Educators United group announced their demands of Gov. Doug Ducey and the Legislature for education funding during a rally at the Arizona state Capitol on March 28, 2018. Nick Oza/The Republic

Organizers of Arizona Educators United group announced their demands of Gov. Doug Ducey and the Legislature for education funding during a rally at the Arizona state Capitol on March 28, 2018. Nick Oza/The Republic

Organizers of Arizona Educators United group announced their demands of Gov. Doug Ducey and the Legislature for education funding during a rally at the Arizona state Capitol on March 28, 2018. Nick Oza/The Republic

Organizers of Arizona Educators United group announced their demands of Gov. Doug Ducey and the Legislature for education funding during a rally at the Arizona state Capitol on March 28, 2018. Nick Oza/The Republic

Organizers of Arizona Educators United group announced their demands of Gov. Doug Ducey and the Legislature for education funding during a rally at the Arizona state Capitol on March 28, 2018. Nick Oza/The Republic

Organizers of Arizona Educators United group announced their demands of Gov. Doug Ducey and the Legislature for education funding during a rally at the Arizona state Capitol on March 28, 2018. Nick Oza/The Republic

Organizers of Arizona Educators United group announced their demands of Gov. Doug Ducey and the Legislature for education funding during a rally at the Arizona state Capitol on March 28, 2018. Nick Oza/The Republic

Lindsay Breon, a physical education teacher at Washington Elementary School in Phoenix, shouts into a megaphone while rallying to support teachers during a #RedForEd rally at the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix on March 28, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic

Alyce Robinson of Goodyear, and her children (from left) Camry, Owen and Blair rally to support teachers during a #RedForEd rally at the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix on March 28, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic

Lindsay Breon, a physical education teacher at Washington Elementary School in Phoenix, shouts into a megaphone while rallying to support teachers during a #RedForEd rally at the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix on March 28, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic

Lindsay Breon, a physical education teacher at Washington Elementary School in Phoenix, shouts into a megaphone while rallying to support teachers during a #RedForEd rally at the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix on March 28, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic

Chandra Goff, a supporter of increased teacher pay, makes a sign at the State Capitol in Phoenix on March 28, 2018, as part of the Arizona Day of Action event. Hundreds of teachers and their supporters gathered to push for better pay for teachers in Arizona. Tom Tingle/The Republic

Brent Whiting, a supporter of increased teacher pay, makes a sign at the State Capitol in Phoenix on March 28, 2018, as part of the Arizona Day of Action event. Hundreds of teachers and their supporters gathered to push for better pay for teachers in Arizona. Tom Tingle/The Republic

Karin Cather, a supporter of increased teacher pay, makes a sign at the State Capitol in Phoenix on March 28, 2018, as part of the Arizona Day of Action event. Hundreds of teachers and their supporters gathered to push for better pay for teachers in Arizona. Tom Tingle/The Republic

J.R. Krumland, a special education teacher at Deer Valley High School holds his sign at the State Capitol in Phoenix on March 28, 2018, as part of the Arizona Day of Action event. Hundreds of teachers and their supporters gathered to push for better pay for teachers in Arizona. Tom Tingle/The Republic

Some shook their heads in disapproval when they heard the governor’s remarks that much of the movement has been spurred by political operatives.

“This is not a political circus,” said Lise Spangenthal, a teacher in the Tempe Elementary School District as she listened to the interview through her cell phone.

“This is a bipartisan movement that is trying to get things settled for our kids, who deserve way better than what they’re getting right now," she said.

Tawnia McGurthy, a second grade teacher at Arrowhead Elementary School in Paradise Valley, stood outside the radio station in 100-degree heat. She joined a line of red-shirt wearing protesters about an hour before Ducey's scheduled 5 p.m. interview appearance.

“I’m tired,” McGurthy said. “Our kids deserve funding.”

McGurthy said that in her 16 years as a teacher, she still rents rather than owns a home. She also said she has a 12-year-old car. But, she said, she did not want to leave the profession.

“I love my children,” she said. “I’m not out here for money for me. I’m out here for money for the kids.”

CLOSE

Noah Karvelis and Dylan Wegela, both teachers and leaders in Arizona Educators United, list their demands during a #RedForEd rally at the Arizona state Capitol. David Wallace/azcentral.com

Preparing for a 'long-term walkout'

The teachers' latest protest comes as parents, educators, school boards and superintendents are preparing for a likely teacher walkout.

Organizers told educators through the Arizona Educators United about their intention to set a date for what they said would be a "long-term walkout" in a video message posted on the group's private Facebook page Monday. The page has more than 42,000 members.

Organizers urged teachers to work to get their school boards and superintendents on board.